Floss toothpick.



R. A. SONN.

PLOSS TOOTHPIOK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1913.

Patented July 28, 1914.

fiapiae/A 507172,

Inventor RAPHAEL A.-S01\TN, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

rLoss roo'riiriox.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed .Tune 23.1913. Serial No. 775,354.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAPHAEL A. SONN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Floss Toothpick, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a holder of simple formadapted to receive a loop of dental floss, and to restrain and tightenthe same, so that the floss may be reciprocated between the teeth.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for tighteningthe floss.

The invention aims to provide a holder from which the floss may bedetached readily, the construction being such that the holder may betaken down, to effect a cleaning of the constituent parts thereof.

It is within the scope of the invention to improve generally and toenhance the utility of, devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 shows the invention in sideelevation, the floss being mounted in place; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan;Fig. 3 is a top plan; Fig. 4 is an elevation of one end of the holder;Fig. 5 is an elevation of the other end of the holder; Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a crosssection on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the flosstightening mechanism.

The floss holder herein disclosed may be fashioned from any desiredsubstance, hard rubber being preferred. The holder comprises a body 1including a handle 2 from which projects an arm 3 terminating in anupstanding finger 4. There is a transverse opening 5 through the handle2 and one side face of the handle is provided in front of the opening 5,with a transverse channel 6 defining a rib 7 at one end of the handle 2.

In the interior of the handle 2 is formed a longitudinally extendedguide way 8 which intersects the opening 5, the guide Way 8 beingextended into the channel 6 to form an open groove 9.

A floss holding groove 10 extends along the lower edge of the arm 3 andis prolonged as indicated at 11 along the outer edge of the finger 4,the groove being extended as indicated at 12 along the upper edge of thefinger 4. The groove extends (14) across the upper and lower edges ofthe rib 7, so that the groove communicates with the transverse channel 6which defines the rib 7.

Movable upon the handle 2 independently thereof, is a floss tighteningdevice, comprising a floss engaging bar 15 mounted to slide bar 15, andlying in the grooves 101l12,

a portion of the floss being exposed, between the finger 4 and the rib7, for insertion between the teeth. As, Will be understood readily, thebar 15 may be shifted longitudinally by rotating the nut 18, the nut 18bearing against the edges of the opening 5 in the handle 2. In thismanner, the floss may be tightened to the desired extent, and

may be removed and renewed. By rotating the nut 18 to a sufficientextent, the bar 15 may be removed from the handle '2, it being thuspossible to take down the entire structure, for the purpose of cleaningthe same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is p A dental flossholder comprising a handle provided at one end with an arm terminatingin an angularly disposed finger, the handle having a transverse,superficial channel in its side face defining a transverse rib at theinner end of the arm the handle being provided with a transverseopening, there being a guideway in the handle, intersecting the openingand communicating with the channel; a bar mounted to slide in Intestimony that I claim the foregoing the guideway and provided withfloss-em as, my own I have hereto afiixed my signa gaging means locatedin the channel, the ture 1n the presence of two witnesses.

rib lying in front of the floss-engaging RAPHAEL A. SONN. means to serveas a guard therefor; and a i Witnesses:

nut threaded on the bar Within the contour L A. BRADY,

of the opening. KATHLEEN T. ASKEN.

cap!" of this patent may be obtained for five cents addressing theCommissioner of ratentl, Washington, D. G."

